Mike Priefer: I’ve learned a hard lesson

Posted by Josh Alper on July 24, 2014, 3:04 PM EDT

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The Vikings suspended special teams coach Mike Priefer last Friday night after an investigation into claims by the team’s former punter Chris Kluwe that Priefer made homophobic remarks while speaking to the team.

Priefer made his first public comments about the suspension, which is for three games with the potential to go down to two games after Priefer completes sensitivity training, and said he made a mistake that went “way below the bar” by making the remarks. Priefer reiterated the apology that he made on Friday and said he’s learned a lesson.

“I’m not going to change the way I coach and I’m not going to change the way I teach,” Priefer said, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “But I’ve learned a lesson. I have learned a lesson here. That’s a great thing about this situation, I’m going to look back and say something good had to come from this. But I learned a hard lesson, I’ve got to be sensitive to other people in what I say and that’s not going to happen again.”

Priefer didn’t go into specific detail about what he said and will undergo sensitivity training during the first week of the regular season. General Manager Rick Spielman indicated that the team considered firing Priefer, but thought a suspension was more appropriate. Coach Mike Zimmer said he stands behind Priefer because he’s a good person that made a mistake.

“We all make mistakes,” Zimmer said. “We all try to learn from our mistakes. And I think this guy is a very high-character, quality person that I want to stand behind. Honestly, I want to stand behind him because I know what is inside of him, I know what’s in his heart. And he made a mistake, and if anyone here hasn’t made a mistake, I want you to raise your hand, because I know I’ve made plenty.”

Kluwe and the Vikings are working toward a settlement that would avoid a lawsuit from Kluwe alleging wrongful discharge and defamation of character. Should that happen, Priefer and the team will be closer to fulfilling Priefer’s desire to “move on” from the investigation.

Statement from Cullen Loeffler – Long Snapper, who was on special teams with the Minnesota Vikings.

When Mike Priefer made those comments in the locker room, Kluwe laughed about it.

This is clearly a money grab, and publicity stunt.

truehoosier62 says:Jul 24, 2014 3:14 PM

And people like Kluwe will continue to feign righteous indignation in an effort to exploit the mistakes of others, extorting companies as they go along. Kluwe and his band of merry men should be sent to an isla….oh, never mind.

You said what you believe coach, your own opinion, there is NOTHING wrong with that.

Who elected the PC police? Why do they stick their noses into everyone’s private business?

Gays have their opinions too, nothing wrong with that but if you disagree with them then you could lose your career. If they disagree with you then Jon Stewart and other NBC pundits will laugh at you and say “hey it’s a free country, ppl can say what they want (as long as you’re in a PC protected group)”

We are beyond sick of hear about you two and your cat fight; especially those of us that live in MN that can’t turn on the TV or look at a newspaper without seeing either of you.

cobrala2 says:Jul 24, 2014 3:16 PM

I hope every team’s Front Office schedules the first week of Training Camp as the official time to issues apologies for all of the organization’s transgressions during the offseason. Block off a couple weeks to all PR consultants and keep them on high-alert for the pending confessions.

Eventually NFLN will launch their own daytime soap. “NFL Confessions”? Or how about this, “Dallas”? No wait, that’s already a team. What about “Dynasty”? Nah, that’s what Seattle is. I think it ought to be “As Goodell Turns”.

It’s ridiculous that this country is turning into the speech police. WE should have the right to say what we want, and not have to apologize. Sure, the suspensions are valid, but I’m sure there’s far worse from other groups of people that are saying things in regards to another.

so basically this all boils down to someone getting their feelings hurt because of the words someone else used. well boo freaking who.

we are on a very slippery slope in this country, we are becoming ruled by the PC police. For everyone here supporting the punter and think this is a good thing, I wont feel bad for you when it happens to you in your workplace. People get their feelings hurt, well too bad, its the real world. learn to work with people of all different beliefs and stop suing for everything.

danind says:
Jul 24, 2014 3:12 PM
Kluwe and the Vikings are working toward a settlement that would avoid a lawsuit from Kluwe alleging wrongful discharge and defamation of character

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and there you go, that’s all this ever was. A disgruntled employee who couldn’t cut it and looking for a way to get some easy cash. its disgusting.

_______________________

Kluwe has already said that any money he receives from a law suit will go to charity.

paganosays says:Jul 24, 2014 3:21 PM

This guy deserves a statue! With a plaque attached that says:
“A very high-character, quality person that I want to stand behind. Honestly, I want to stand behind him because I know what is inside of him.”

Give Zimmer credit for laying it out there and dealing with the issue. Kluwe is a bum, trying to extort his former team for cash in the guise of some social injustice. Other than his first couple of years, he wasn’t that good. He was cut because of his high salary, his play and the fact that he was a distraction. Happens all the time, not sure why he thinks he’s so special but in this day and age, people get paid all the time just to go away, which is his angle.

It’s unfortunate that the vikings organization frowns upon diversity in the workplace. This may, in part, explain why the vikings have never achieved the ultimate prize in a league that serves to enable the weak and tear apart the strong. Only through diversity can the vikings ever hope to escape their lowly fate.

Honestly, after that report came out, Kluwe comes out of this episode looking worse than Priefer.

The mocking of the victims of Jerry Sandusky, waiting for more than a year (and until Frazier is fired) to report Priefer’s comments, the acidic outbursts towards Frazier, Spielman and other teammates, it all adds up to Kluwe using the gay rights agenda as a platform to pursue his own personal vendetta.

The Vikings were right to suspend Priefer for his comments, but I’m glad to see them standing by him now. He has at least had the humility to admit he was wrong. It would do Kluwe a lot of good to take something from that example.

There’s nothing like good old suppression of expression to bring a Country down to the level of China and Russia.
Those who’re backing the punter to the hilt will eventually find out that oppression is a two way street.
And to think, at one time the NFL was about playing football. I suspect a lot of grandchildren will here this statement one day.

skoobyfl says:Jul 24, 2014 3:27 PM

5 games for free tattoos should be added here, I bet human trafficking draws a stern warning.

I call BS your learn from your mistakes when you stop doing them NOT when you get punished . Call my hawks ped hawks but call the Minnesota team the dikequeens based on your teams stance and slander against gays !

Could not agree more. Yet regardless of what side of the isle you are on, we have 50 United States Senators signing a document to change an “offensive” team name. I don’t encourage government intervention in something like this but it shows in general how this country is upside down.

It blows my mind that something has not been done about this or someone has not called the NFL out on this ludicrous behavior. Someone made a post in the Ray Rice suspension thread that what if it was Gordells daughter that was the one that was knocked out? Logic tells me things would be a bit different. But we all know, cash is king, especially for a non-profit like the NFL.

A lesson that Vikings fans have not: don’t make fun of other people, especially if you are beneath them.

>

shieldsisland37 says:Jul 24, 2014 3:44 PM

Ive worked in a college football teams office as a film tech. Traveled with the team, filmed practice, yada. When you are winning, everything is great, when your losing? oh boy, dont even look at each other. Swearing, terrible things being said, whatever, no one cares about anything except getting that good feeling that comes with a win. So honestly, even if Kluwe has a point about not harassing people, dude its a football team. Get a grip on reality.

minnesoulja says:Jul 24, 2014 3:44 PM

Ferdinand says:
Jul 24, 2014 3:08 PM
Given your record of lying on the record, repeatedly, why should anyone believe you now?

__________________________________

Not all of us need or want to believe him. The gay agenda is having the opposite effect of the tolerance they are looking for and soon the pendulum will fall the other way. Go blow your whistle, PC Police.

truehoosier62 says:Jul 24, 2014 3:44 PM

If I were a GM, one of the first things I’d do when approaching either the draft or free agency would be to ignore anyone who even remotely espouses Kluwe’s liberal viewpoints. Better to be stuck with a lesser talented player than a person who’s sole purpose in life is to ruin everyone else’s.

texaspistoleer says:Jul 24, 2014 3:44 PM

So if the Vikings pay Kluwe a settlement for wrongful termination, how does that affect the salary cap? Shouldn’t that count against their cap as payment to a player?

Freedom of speech does not mean everyone can say whatever comes to their mind at any time without repercussions.

If I yell fire in a crowded theatre I should expect repercussions. If I make a vile comment to someone on the street to their face I should expect repercussions. If I am at work and express a vile hateful viewpoint I should expect repercussions.

The only thing the the first amendment protects us from is from being jailed by the government for making certain comments.

privatecowboy says:Jul 24, 2014 3:51 PM

Punters are ‘just a guy’ in regards to value to a team, if they were more valuable, then they would be drafted and not signed off the street.

Kluwe is a perfect example of a middle of the road punter or player looking for quarterback style attention…good riddance.

If the comments did bother Kluwe he should have taken them to HR immediately not after he had a subpar year and was cut. That goes for ANY organization or corporation. Doing so in retrospect makes it look like you are money hunting…..which he is under the disguise of being moral and at the cost of degrading a sensitive subject that is still trying to gain a foothold in the world of acceptance. I shame you Kluwe on all fronts.

I’m willing to believe Colin Loeffler (long snapper), who was there when Priefer made this comment, when he explains that the comments were made in an attempt to say the worst thing possible in order to get Klee to pay attention while they were studying film.

Priefer got his suspension and his name forever tarnished as a result. Move on, camp opens tomorrow..

The morons who keep saying that he simply said his opinion and there’s nothing wrong with that seem to forget that this is a WORKPLACE.

You can’t go around spouting whatever you want in the workplace—no ifs, ands, or buts.

So many of you want to make so many excuses for your teams and your players that you forget that while football is a game–it is also a work environment for these people, and they are beholden to the same statutes and regulations of any work environment.

So no, you can’t just walk around at work and talk about how a whole minority group of the human race should be put on an island and blown up.

In the history of the Vikings franchise, this hardly gets in the top 10 of transgressions. Not when it has to compete against the likes of a Love Boat, Whizzanator, scalping Superbowl tickets, wife beating, and sexual harassment just to name a few.

Now I understand that other franchises have their own set of felons and miscreants, but you have to admit that the Viking’s version is infinitely more entertaining. At least compared to the team they field every year.

When Florio sold out to NBC, I’m sure one of the stipulations was that in order to gain their revenue dollars he had to let loose the censor hounds. It’s unfortunate, but everyone has their price, and that was his.

mitchem85 says:Jul 24, 2014 4:22 PM

Jul 24, 2014, 3:51 PM EDT
Freedom of speech does not mean everyone can say whatever comes to their mind at any time without repercussions.

If I yell fire in a crowded theatre I should expect repercussions. If I make a vile comment to someone on the street to their face I should expect repercussions. If I am at work and express a vile hateful viewpoint I should expect repercussions.

The only thing the the first amendment protects us from is from being jailed by the government for making certain comments.
———————————————————

Bingo! It amazes me how dumb people are.. Trying to compare “hate” to a group of people looking for acceptance is beyond ridiculous.

I’m not gay, but when I hear stuff like “gay agenda” it just makes me smh and makes a lot of you look paranoid and classless. Unless someone is a pedophile, why does someone else’s sex life matter to you? I personally wouldn’t care if someone wanted to marry a tree, as long as they’re good people and are happy, that’s all that should matter.

truehoosier62 says:Jul 24, 2014 4:22 PM

“So no, you can’t just walk around at work and talk about how a whole minority group of the human race should be put on an island and blown up”.

It’s just as unfortunate that a whole minority group is so insecure in their person as to rob others for stating their beliefs/opinions. And I’m sorry, but a Sports locker room is hardly the same setting as a office, though the business world could learn a few things from it.

I agree it’s a workplace and maybe we need to re-evaluate what kind of ribbing and heckling is allowed in sports locker rooms/playing fields.

That said, I’m not sure I understand the logic he gets a 3-game suspension from the NFL while Ray Rices gets a 2-game suspension.

Just doesn’t pass the sniff test.

The NFL’s punishment policy is clearly geared towards shutting up the squeakiest wheel (the bigger story) and not about criminality or fairness.

I’m actually more ashamed Ray Rice got off with the law than his light 2-game sentence from the league. Rice should have gone to jail (at least for 90 days or something) and be a felon the rest of his life.

contra74 says:Jul 24, 2014 4:26 PM

1greatusername says:
Jul 24, 2014 3:25 PM
quit deleting my posts!

Smack someone in an elevator = 2 games
Say something that offends someone = 3 games

What? Sticks and stones still break bones, but apparently words hurt 50% more.
—
Agree on whoever monitors posts should quit deleting them. Whether they dont like the poster or whatever the message is should stay. Profanity of course should be taken down.

Can we please stop saying Priefer was expressing his opinion? He was making a bad joke! No one could actually believe that Priefer wants to kill gay people! He may be against gay marriage (or he may not) and he should be able to discuss that issue with others in the workplace without fear of reprisal. He shouldn’t have said what he said and he has acknowledged that. That doesn’t mean that’s what he believes, though. Do you people take everyone so literally? You know, I don’t really believe Aaron Rodgers has tiny hands.

Kluwe has said that if he wins the lawsuit (now on hold), that he would give all the money to charity. OK, then how about the Vikings do this as a settlement: Give X number of dollars to the charities Kluwe is talking about. I’m not talking about giving the money to Kluwe to donate, but let the Vikings publicly do it. Something tells me you would see Kluwe backpedal on his previous statement to donate it all and his true colors will shine.

“Mike Priefer: I’ve learned a hard lesson”-we”ve all learned a harder lesson, having to put up with Kluwe!

purpleguy says:Jul 24, 2014 4:57 PM

This was handled like any other employment matter — an investigation, which is always kept confidential, followed by punishment if necessary (usually a suspension and training, as here). The guy should be and was fairly punished, but he had to be careful with his words today given the threatened litigation. The thing is that this still doesn’t create a legally viable claim for Kluwe, and this should just go away to the land of irrelevance with the pictures of Ponder’s baby and the birds bonking into the new stadium.

Being forced to coach the Vikings should be punishment enough. It must be depressing knowing that you are the coach of a team that has absolutely no shot of winning the division or even getting to the playoffs.

pkrlvr says:Jul 24, 2014 5:30 PM

They’re both bums. Preifer said something dumb, then lied about it while using his religion as a cover….which is shameful. Kluwe’s just being vindictive.

kevpft says:Jul 24, 2014 5:48 PM

This isn’t a mistake, it’s a warped world view. Doesn’t mean that he’s a bad guy who doesn’t deserve employment, but it does mean he’s got issues. Here’s hoping his public statement isn’t the extent to which he really believes he has a problem. He’s got serious work to do.

Wow. Reading the comments in response to this article really shows how much the bulk of PFT readers have achieved… Which is little to nothing.

The issue here is a manager made this comment. No one cares when you parrot this from your cubicle or counter, but this is a position of power. Kluwe is on a witch hunt and should be frowned upon, but this PR police nonsense? Enjoy the proletariat life considering you don’t get it….

stellarperformance says:Jul 25, 2014 9:31 AM

This guy is not apologizing. He’s just saying he won’t make the mistake of sharing his narrow-mindedness out loud anymore. Which is fine…..but he is an employer, and although he is entitled to his own opinions, he should keep them to himself and simply do his job.

Kluwe is doing the right thing by giving this guy and people like him a good kick in the pants. It might do some good.

youallrfools says:
Jul 25, 2014 12:43 AM
Wow. Reading the comments in response to this article really shows how much the bulk of PFT readers have achieved… Which is little to nothing.

The issue here is a manager made this comment. No one cares when you parrot this from your cubicle or counter, but this is a position of power. Kluwe is on a witch hunt and should be frowned upon, but this PR police nonsense? Enjoy the proletariat life considering you don’t get it….
——————

You are nothing and nobody. Take your condescension elsewhere.

Kluwe is a leech. A coward. A cancer. And they cut it out before it metastasized and created further damage to the organization.

But……….
Priefer can get a 1 game reduction if his sensitivity class is working. lol

How are you going to know? lol

ejmat2 says:Jul 25, 2014 1:44 PM

Bottom line is Klewe was not that good a punter. I’ve seen him punt several flat line punts which made Devin Hester’s life pretty easy against the Vikings. I’ve seen him be scared of kicking toward the sideline. He wasn’t that good so the fact of him being wrongfully discharged is crap.

If he wants to comments to stop he hopefully established that and like Prifer said, if anything comes out good from this I hope that is it. But for the rest of Klewe’s allegations they are ridiculous.